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Initial assessment
Category:Protocol Initial assessment is an organized way to recognize and respond to life-threatening emergencies in a crisis. It can take from a few seconds to a minute, after which you either stay with the sick or injured person until further care arrives, or stay with them until both they and you agree it is o.k. for you to leave. Take a deep breath Imagine one of your friends is suddenly injured or sick. Or maybe you're the first one to find a person "down" at a protest. What do you do? Well, don't panic! Take a deep breath and think. Survey the scene Before approaching, Survey the scene: *Is it safe? *How many people need help? *What could be dangerous? Look for things like: **fire **falling debris **advancing police **an out-of-control crowd **traffic Eliminate or prepare for potential hazards to the injured or ill person, to yourself, and to bystanders. Try to make sure that whatever happened to your friend or comrade doesn't happen to you too! Use any crowd for moving obstacles, directing traffic, getting help, and keeping a safe space around injured people. Try to speak in a calm voice to help keep others calm. Remember, most people want to help. Introduce yourself *"Hi, I'm so-and-so. I know some first aid. Determine if the person is alert *"Are you OK?" *"What's your name?" *"Do you know where you are? /what day it is? /what happened?" If the person does not respond to normal conversation, shout and tap-- but do not shake them, since this could make a neck or spine injury worse. Get their consent Find out if they are willing to accept your care. If they don't want to talk to you or be touched by you, or whatever, do your best to find out why and get them help that they will accept. What you discover during the first part of initial assessment affects how you do the second part. When you surveyed the scene and determined if the person was alert, you probably got an idea of the mechanism of injury or illness (MOI), which is a fancy word for the cause of the problem. Do you think the person fell? Were they in a fight? Are they twacked out on some stuff? Pay attention. The most important thing to ask before going on is: Based on the MOI, do you suspect a spinal injury? Check the ABCs *Airway *Breathing *Circulation *Disability *Circulation A-- is the Airway open? If the person talked to you normally, the airway is open. If they didn't talk, put your face next to theirs and look, listen, and feel for breathing for 15 seconds: *Look to see if their chest rises *Listen for sounds of breathing *Can you feel breath on your cheek? B-- is the person Breathing? If they can talk normally to you, they are breathing, right?If they didn't talk, and there seems to be no airway obstruction, but no breath is coming out or in, the problem might be with their breathing system. C-- is their Circulation compromised? The circulatory system is contained within the heart and blood vessels. If the person is breathing, their heart is beating. Don't waste time taking their pulse unless you know how. *Look for bleeding. Remember that bulky clothing, sand, or rocks might disguise blood loss. Blood loss may also be internal. Even if you find one bleeding injury, keep looking-- there may be other hidden injuries that are more severe. *If they are pale, cool, and clammy, and if they are becoming less alert, consider that they may be entering shock. D-- have they been Disabled? Any person who cannot think, move, or take care of themselves as they normally do-- or any person with a potential spinal injury-- is disabled. *Stay with them until they recover or help arrives. E-- have they suffered from Exposure to a dangerous environment? Re-assess as needed Notes This material is intended as a training supplement. Reading this material is no substitute for first aid / medical training with a qualified trainer. We encourage you to pursue ongoing education, reviewing and upgrading your skills-- for the safety of both yourself and anyone you treat.